Westborough teacher leads service retreat in Syracuse, New York

Students participated in a wheelchair race at L’Arche Community in Syracuse: (front) student Ronan O’Hara, L’Arche Community residents Brad and Mary; (back) students Ryan McDonnell, Declan Murphy, Donald ‘DJ’ Ormond and Luc Grenier, and history teacher Nick Argento. Photo/submitted

Westborough – Nicholas Argento of Westborough, a history teacher at Boston College High School, spent a most rewarding and uplifting week, from June 17 – 23, leading a group of 10 Boston College High School juniors on a service retreat at the Brady Faith Center in Syracuse, New York. He was assisted by fellow teacher Ryan Dacey.

On a walking tour, they visited West Syracuse, the most poverty-stricken part of the U.S. for blacks, and South Syracuse, the most poverty stricken for Latinos, according to the U.S. Census.

The students worked in the St. Lucy’s food pantry and, outside, at the stone garden, where they did some cleanup and built two vegetable gardens. In addition, they visited a jail ministry, a mosque, assisted on a farm, and organized a pancake breakfast.

They gathered each night for two hours to pray, share what they experienced and learn in a contemplation discussion group with members of the Brady Faith Center who led them in reflection, journal writing and prayer.

They made dinner for a singing prayer service at L’Arche Community, a group of people, living and working together to build a relationship with each other, putting God at the center of the relationship between those with developmental disabilities and those who do not. Some of the boys were invited to participate in wheelchair races with the residents.